The Young Swordsman of Dalu

Since assuming power, Murong Xuan of the Northern Dynasty had been in high spirits. His warlike behavior had drawn opposition from some veteran officials, while those who supported him were newly powerful figures eager to consolidate their power. These newcomers followed Murong Xuan's wishes and were rapidly promoted. Murong Xuan dismissed some veteran officials, sent them to their hometowns, sidelined them, imprisoned some, and even executed some of their entire families. There was only one voice in the Northern Dynasty: Murong Xuan could do whatever he wanted, and no one dared to stop him. Murong Xuan's vanity for power had been unprecedentedly satisfied.

During the morning court session that day, a minister reminded Murong Xuan, "Your Majesty, our Northern Dynasty army is still facing off against the Great Lu army at the border. I wonder what our next move should be?"

"You're all useless! My mighty Northern Dynasty's army of over 200,000 men couldn't even break through the border defenses of the Great Lu Kingdom, which numbered only tens of thousands. What use are you to me?" Murong Xuanlong roared in fury.

"Your Majesty, the Western Regions army also has 100,000 troops on our border. Although they verbally agreed to help us attack the Great Lu Kingdom, they did not move a single soldier until we went to war with the Great Lu Kingdom. I think they are eyeing our country with covetous intent and have no good intentions. We should be wary of them."

"I've already spoken to his Khan; we'll divide the territory we conquer in the future equally. With such a huge temptation, why didn't he obediently agree?" Murong Xuan said.

“We have dealt with the Western Regions for many years, and we know their character. They cannot be on equal footing with us. Moreover, our two countries have only recently ceased hostilities. Your Majesty should still be wary of the Western Regions.”

"Alright, I don't need your instruction. Issue the decree: today we will wage war against the Great Lu Kingdom again, and we must take Beijiang City," Murong Xuan said.

"The Northern Dynasty is in grave danger!" some veteran officials thought to themselves.

As for Wenfei, after jumping down from the entrance of the secret passage, the space below was spacious and brightly lit. Wenfei carefully observed his surroundings and then walked forward. The further he went, the wider the space became.

Wenfei continued walking forward, and after about two hours he saw light shining in from outside. Wenfei knew that he had reached the exit of the secret passage.

Wen Fei reached the exit, leaped up, and was greeted by a vast expanse of white; he had unexpectedly arrived at the snow-capped mountains of the Northern Dynasty. Surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks, Wen Fei felt an immediate sense of oppression.

"My God! It's so beautiful! This is simply a paradise on earth! It's a place only immortals can live in. I actually came to this place. It's unbelievable!" Wenfei exclaimed.

The snow-capped mountains stand tall and majestic, with icicles hanging along their sides, sparkling and translucent under the sun, a truly beautiful sight.

Wenfei was quite excited to actually see scenes he had only ever seen on TV and in movies. He was so happy that he wanted to sing out loud, but just as he was about to open his mouth, he suddenly remembered that singing loudly might cause an avalanche, so Wenfei obediently closed his mouth.

"Let's find our master first! I can't shout too loudly, I'll just have to look for him." Wenfei said to himself.

Wenfei observed the several snow-capped mountains in front of him. He saw the tallest one. Although it was high, it was easy for people to climb, and there was a cave halfway up the mountain, which was perfect for people to take refuge in.

Wenfei found an easy spot to climb and started climbing up the mountain, hoping his master was inside.

Ji Wuchang and Jin Yuanying were indeed in this cave. That day, Ji Wuchang was surrounded by the Northern Dynasty's imperial guards in Yuxuan Palace. This time, the imperial guards were prepared; they not only had archers but also a lot of gunpowder. If Ji Wuchang tried to escape, they would detonate the gunpowder and blow up Yuxuan Palace. Ji Wuchang was forced into the palace. Just as the imperial guards stormed in, Jin Yuanying pulled Ji Wuchang and jumped down into a secret passage. When the guards entered the palace, they couldn't find Ji Wuchang, and even their Empress Dowager was gone. They panicked, thinking that Ji Wuchang had kidnapped their Empress Dowager. When Murong Xuan found out, he ordered a search of Yuxuan Palace, but they couldn't find a trace of her.

Murong Xuan felt a pang of heartache for Jin Yuanying's disappearance for only a moment, but then he felt that it was all fate, and he was at peace with it.

The history of this secret passage dates back several decades. Back then, Jin Yuanying rescued the seriously injured Ji Wuchang. In order to prevent his father from finding out, she had her people dig this secret passage. At first, they dug a very short one, but later they unknowingly dug all the way to the foot of the snow mountain. They spent the best time of their lives here.

After Jin Yuanying's son became the emperor of the Northern Dynasty, she asked him to rename the courtyard where she had previously lived in the royal palace as Yuxuan Palace. Fortunately, the royal palace and the imperial palace were only separated by a wall, so her son simply enclosed the royal palace within the imperial palace, and she moved from her original bedroom into Yuxuan Palace.

Wenfei groped his way up and finally reached the cave entrance. He pulled himself in and went inside. It was much warmer inside, and he seemed to smell cooking. He hadn't eaten in a long time, and his stomach was growling.

"who?"

Wenfei walked around a corner and saw someone standing there.

“I’m a good person,” Wenfei said.

"Stop! Don't move!" The man walked towards Wen Fei.

“I’m really a good person. I’ve come to find my master,” Wenfei said.

"Behave yourself and don't say a word!" the man snapped.

“I really am looking for my master, he is Ji Wuchang, the Flying Hero of the Western Continent,” Wen Fei said.

"Someone! Keep an eye on him, I'm going in to report." The man hurriedly left.

"Your Majesty, a young man has come from outside, saying he is looking for Master Ji."

“Old man, your apprentice is indeed quite good; he really found us,” Jin Yuanying said.

"Let him in," Ji Wuchang said.

The man went out and brought Wen Fei in. Wen Fei immediately saw Ji Wuchang and Jin Yuanying sitting on the couch. He ran over and knelt down in front of Ji Wuchang: "Master, I knew you were blessed with great fortune and wouldn't die so easily!"

"Hahaha! Wenfei, you're something else! You really found us. I even made a bet with the old lady about it," Ji Wuchang said with a laugh.

"I'm relieved that Master and Senior Jin are alright. I can go back and fight the enemy with peace of mind now," Wen Fei said.

"What's the situation outside? Tell us quickly," Ji Wuchang said.

Wen Fei glanced at Jin Yuanying and said, "Isn't it just that belligerent grandson of Senior Jin? We had already been fighting for a whole day before I arrived, fighting fiercely and causing heavy casualties on both sides."

"Are you injured too?" Ji Wuchang asked with concern, looking at the bandages on Wenfei's hand.

"My injuries are minor, nothing compared to those soldiers who lost limbs or even their lives," Wen Fei said.

"War inflicts wounds on ordinary people that can never be healed," Ji Wuchang said.

“Senior Jin, your grandson has gone mad; he’s practically a war maniac,” Wen Fei said.

“It’s all his own fault. It’s fate. Let him be emperor for a few more days. That way, I can at least do justice to his mother,” Jin Yuanying said.

Ji Wuchang reached out and patted Jin Yuanying, who looked at Ji Wuchang with deep affection.

"This is so sweet!" Wenfei said enviously.

"Shut up!" Ji Wuchang said.

"Hahahaha!"